MELBOURNE, Fla. (Men’s Lacrosse) – Florida Tech athletic director Bill Jurgens named Ryan McAleavey the institution’s first men’s lacrosse head coach on Friday. McAleavey will have a year and a half to build the foundation of the program in anticipation of the team’s inaugural game in spring 2012.

“I am excited about Ryan joining our staff, given his enthusiasm and commitment to lacrosse,” said Jurgens of his new coach. “I am confident that he is a perfect fit for the development of our lacrosse program at Florida Tech.”

McAleavey comes to Melbourne with a wealth of lacrosse experience at the professional, college and high school levels. Most recently, he served as the boys head coach at Red Bank Regional High School. In New Jersey, McAleavey inherited a young and largely inexperienced team. Tasked with aiding in the development of student-athletes, he guided them to a top four finish in their division after being picked to place last in the preseason poll.

“I want to thank Dr. Catanese, Brian Dailey and Bill Jurgens for this opportunity,” said McAleavey. “This is a dream for me and I’m very excited.

“This year we’ll be competing strictly as a club team and then we will enter into Division II competition next year. The majority of this year I’ll be out recruiting in preparation for our 2012 debut.”

Prior to working with the Bucs, McAleavey roamed the sidelines at St. John Vianney High School in Holmdel, N.J. After inheriting a team that was unable to tally a win the season prior to his arrival, he built a respectable squad, leading them to five victories on the playing field.

McAleavey served as the associate head coach/offensive coordinator at Suffolk Community College before moving on to Vianney High School. At Suffolk, he had the opportunity to coach a consistent top five National Junior College Athletic Association lacrosse program. Two of his teams were region runner-ups and his 2006 club not only won its region, but advanced to the NJCAA National Championship.

For the Longhorns, he handled a wide variety of tasks, including the implementation of offensive game plans, scouting, fundraising, scheduling, budget management and developing an offseason conditioning program.

The Brentwood, N.Y. native has experience in developing a program from his time at Notre Dame Catholic High School in Fairfield, Conn. As the institution’s first head lacrosse coach, he was responsible for all aspects of starting the program, from scheduling games to recruiting student-athletes. In each of his three years at Notre Dame Catholic, his teams consistently improved. By year three, the squad fielded 30-35 varsity players and it qualified for the high school’s Division II playoffs.

Before he embarked on his coaching career, McAleavey was a standout attackman at Dowling College, pacing the team in goals all four years. Following a junior campaign where he scored 60 goals and dished out 15 assists, he garnered United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Division II All-America Honorable Mention honors. Although his collegiate career concluded in 1999, McAleavey still holds school records for goals and points in a single-season and career.

Following his collegiate career, McAleavey inked a free agent contract with the New Jersey Pride. Shortly after signing, he was asked to join the coaching staff as an assistant. With one season of coaching experience under his belt, he still had a strong desire to play. In 2004, he was selected by the Pride in the ninth round of the 2004 Major League Lacrosse Supplemental Draft.

Even though his career was cut short due to injury, he remained on the team as an assistant. In that role, he scouted possible draft picks, broke down game film, implemented practice workouts, assisted the head coach with game day management and helped with marketing events and appearances.

McAleavey received a bachelor’s of arts degree in professional and liberal studies from Dowling College. Before earning a master’s degree in special education and general education at Touro College, he occupied the graduate assistant men’s lacrosse position at Dowling. As a Golden Lion, he dealt with all phases of the program, including recruiting, player evaluation, planning practices, offseason conditioning, alumni relations, fundraising and scheduling.

McAleavey holds a teacher’s certificate in New Jersey and is certified in CPR, first aid and safety. In February, he married the former Angela Burgo from Lincroft, N.J.